Compact floribunda rose plant named `POULagun`

ABSTRACT

A new floribunda rose plant which has abundant, fragrant, yellow flowers, becoming ivory-yellow with age, and attractive foliage. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and by traditional budding and is suitable for year round production in commercial glasshouses. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of compactfloribunda rose plant which originated from a controlled crossingbetween Mini-Poul and an unnamed seedling. The two parents were crossedand the resulting seeds were planted in a controlled environment. Thenew variety is named `POULagun`.

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, Mini-Poul, bythe following combinatioin of characteristics:

1. Mini-Poul is a yellow-red bicolor miniature rose and `POULagun` is acompact floribunda rose with yellow, becoming ivory yellow with ageflowers.

2. The flowers and growth of Mini-Poul are smaller than `POULagun`.

3. The foliage of Mini-Poul is smaller than `POULagun`.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, an unnamedseedling created by the same inventors, by the following combination ofcharacteristics:

1. The unnamed seedling is a yellow miniature rose and `POULagun` is acompact floribunda rose with yellow, becoming ivory yellow with ageflowers.

2. The flowers and growth of the unnamed seedling are smaller than`POULagun`.

3. The unnamed seedling is an offspring of RUImired, U.S. Plant Pat. No.5,770 and a yellow patio rose.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety for commercialgreenhouse culture was to create a new and distinct variety with uniquequalities, such as:

1. Uniform and abundant flowers;

2. Vigorous and compact growth;

3. Year-round flowering under glasshouse conditions;

4. Suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots;

5. Durable flowers and foliage which make a variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously availablecommercial cultivars of this type and distinguish `POULagun` from allother varieties of which we are aware.

As part of their rose development program, L. Pernille Olesen and MogensN. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridization andconducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlledenvironment in Fredensborg, Denmark.

`POULagun` was selected by the inventors as a single plant from theprogeny of the hybridization in March, 1992.

Asexual reproduction of `POULagun` by cuttings was first done by L.Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery in Fredensborg, Denmarkin May, 1993. This initial and other subsequent propagations conductedin controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of`POULagun` are true to type and are transmitted from one generation tothe next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, stems, and a plant of`POULagun`. Specifically illustrated in SHEET 1:

1. Stem showing branching and the attachment of leaves, buds, andpeduncles;

2. Flower bud, partially opened bud, and open bloom;

3. Flower petals, detached;

4. Sepals, receptable, and pedicel;

5. Flowering stem as well as a bare stem;

6. Leaves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of `POULagun`, as observed in its growthin glasshouses in Fredensborg, Denmark, and in a field nursery inJackson County, Oreg. Color references are made using The RoyalHorticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 1995, except wherecommon terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety`POULgret`, a white floribunda rose variety from the same inventorsdescribed and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,729 are compared to`POULagun` in Chart 1.

                  CHART 1                                                         ______________________________________                                                `POULagun`     `POULgret`                                             ______________________________________                                        Color, upper                                                                            Yellow-Orange Group 18B                                                                        White Group 155B                                   side of petal                                                                 Color, reverse                                                                                Yellow-Orange Group 18C                                                                         White Group 155B                            side of petal                                                                 Thorns                                     Average                            ______________________________________                                    

Parents: Mini-Poul×unnamed seedling.

Classification:

Botanical.--Rosa hybrida.

Commercial.--Compact Floribunda.

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

Blooming habit: Continuous.

Flower bud:

Size.--Upon opening, 20 mm-25 mm in length from base of receptacle toend of bud.

Bud form.--Globular to pointed ovoid.

Bud color.--As sepals unfold, Yellow Group 8D. Yellow Group 8D at 1/4opening with intonations of Orange Group 29C and Orange-Red Group 34C.

Sepals.--Green Group 137D. Moderate foliaceous appendages on three ofthe five sepals. Surfaces of sepals slightly pubescent. Stipitate glandspresent on margins and outermost surfaces of sepals with appendages.

Receptacle.--Surface: Smooth. Occasionally glaucous. Shape: Urn-shaped.Size: Medium. 7-8 mm (h)×7-8 mm (w). Color: Green Group 143B withintonations of Greyed-Red Group 179A.

Peduncle.--Surface: Smooth. With moderate numbers of stipitate glands.Length: 30-40 mm average length. Color: Green Group 143B. On plantsgrown under high light conditions, penduncles may exhibit intonations ofGreyed-Red Group 184A. Strength: Upright.

Borne.--In small clusters.

Flower bloom:

Fragrance.--Moderate floral to resinous fragrance.

Duration.--As a pot plant, flowers last from 8 to 10 days. As a cutflower 6 to 8 days. On a plant in the garden, the blooms have a durationon the plant of approximately 7 to 12 days. Petals fall cleanly awayfrom plant.

Size.--Average flower diameter is 60-70 mm when open.

Form.--Shape of flower when viewed from the side: Upon opening, upperpart: Flattened convex. Upon opening, lower part: Flattened Convex. Openflower, upper part: Flat. Open flower, lower part: Flat to concave.

Petalage.--Double. Average range: 30-35 under normal conditions with nopetaloids.

Color:

Upon opening, petals.--Outermost petals: Upper Surface: Yellow-OrangeGroup 18B. Reverse Side: Yellow-Orange Group 18C. Innermost petals:Upper Surface: Yellow-Orange Group 18C. Reverse Side: Yellow-OrangeGroup 18C.

Upon opening, basal petal spots.--Petals: Outer Side: Yellow Group 9B.Inner Side: Yellow Group 9C.

After opening, petals.--Outermost petals: Upper Surface: Yellow-OrangeGroup 18C. Reverse Side: Yellow-Orange Group 18D. Innermost petals:Upper Surfaces: Yellow-Orange Group 18C. Reverse Side: Yellow-OrangeGroup 18D.

Upon opening, basal petal spots.--Petals: Outer Side: Yellow Group 9C.Inner Side: Yellow Group 9D.

General tonality: On open flower Yellow-White Group 158B. No change inthe general tonality at the end of the third day. Afterwards, generaltonality is Yellow-White Group 158C.

Petals:

Petal reflex.--Petals reflex slightly.

Petal edge.--With point in center of margin. Ruffled.

Shape.--Round to broadly deltoid.

Petaloids.--Commonly none.

Thickness.--Thick.

Arrangement.--Informal.

Reproductive organs:

Pollen.--Color: Yellow-Orange Group 16B. Abundance: Average.

Anthers.--Size: Medium. Color: Yellow-Orange Group 16B. Abundance:Average.

Filaments.--Color: Green-Yellow Group 1B.

Stigmas.--Stigmas superior in location to anthers. Color: Green-WhiteGroup 157C with intonations of Red-Purple Group 57C.

Styles.--Color: Green-White Group 157C with intonations of Red-PurpleGroup 57C.

Hips.--None observed.

PLANT

Plant growth: Vigorous and upright to bushy. When grown as a 15 cm potplant, the average height of the plant itself is 24 to 28 cm and theaverage width is 22 to 24 cm. When grown as a nursery plant on its ownroots, the average height of the plant itself is 55-65 cm and theaverage width is 35-45 cm.

Stems:

Color.--Young wood: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Older wood: Yellow-GreenGroup 146C.

Prickles.--Incidence: Thornless.

Surface.--Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.

Plant foliage: Normal number of leaflets on normal leaves in middle ofthe stem: 5-7 leaflets.

Leaf size.--Medium. 60 mm×65 mm (w) average.

Abundance.--Above average abundance.

Color.--Upper Leaf Surface: Green Group 137A-Yellow-Green Group 147A.Lower Leaf Surface: Green Group 138B. Juvenile foliage: Green Group137C. Anthocyanin intonation: Limited. Location: Leaf petiole, rachis,and leaflet margin. Color: Greyed-Red Group 179B.

Plant leaves and leaflets:

Stipules.--Present. Limited number of stipitate glands present onmargins. Size: 12 mm-15 mm. Color: Green Group 137D.

Petiole.--Length: 20 mm - 25 mm. Color: Green Group 137C. Underneath:Smooth. Margins: With limited numbers of stipitate glands.

Rachis.--Color: Green Group 137C. Underneath: Smooth. Margins: Withlimited numbers of stipitate glands.

Leaflet.--Edge: Serrated. Shape: Ovate to round.

Other.--Moderately glossy finish. Leathery texture.

Disease resistance: Average resistance to black spot and Botrytis underoutdoor growing conditions in Jackson County, Oreg.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the compactfloribunda class, substantially as herein illustrated and described as adistinct and novel rose variety due to its abundant and fragrantflowers, vigorous and compact growth, year round flowering underglasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttingsand traditional budding, and durable flowers and foliage which make thevariety suitable for distribution in the floral industry.